Melbourne man scales 460ft Bolte Bridge pillar to paint graffiti and demands jam sandwich

A masked man has caused traffic chaos in Melbourne, Australia, after climbing 460ft up the iconic Bolte Bridge pillar to paint a Pam the Bird graffiti tag and issuing a list of demands including lower taxes and a peanut butter and jam sandwich

A mysterious daredevil is locked in a six hour-long standoff with police after scaling 460ft up a bridge pillar to spray graffiti, call for reduced taxes, and request a sandwich.

The unidentified graffiti artist clambered up the renowned Bolte Bridge in Melbourne, Australia, to create another iconic mural of the city’s famous Pam the Bird tag across the urban landscape.

Much to the frustration of officers he then stayed atop his bridge pillar perch, occasionally hidden by cloud due to its lofty height of 460ft, while emergency services observe from below concerned for his wellbeing.

The mystery vandal, nevertheless, appears quite content atop his bridge pillar roost, which has sparked traffic pandemonium on the Bolte Bridge and M1 motorway.

He has issued an extraordinary list of demands before descending from his perch, posting them on a social media account for Pam the Bird.

He originally cited “lower taxes” as a requirement for his descent, and has additionally requested a “blankey” to ward off the chilly winter air.

For context, Melbourne sits on the southeastern coastline of Australia, which enjoys a considerably cooler climate than stereotypes typically suggest. For example, the temperature plummeted to a low of three degrees this morning – a temperature that would presumably be much chillier at 460ft above ground.

The masked mystery figure, dressed entirely in black, filmed himself peering down at numerous emergency vehicles and the roadway while demanding a tax reduction. “I’m not coming down until they lower the taxes,” he can be heard declaring in the social media video.

“I’m f***ing sick of paying that s**t.”

When queried by social media users about which taxes he was specifically referring to, the account owner simply responded: “All of them”.

Around 8am local time, he made his next request: A peanut butter and jam sandwich.

“I want a peanut butter and jam sandwich and a glass of milk or I’m not coming down,” he can be heard stating in another social clip.

He has since reiterated that demand, posting a masked image of himself atop the pillar with the caption “patiently waiting for my pb and j sandwich”.

Just before 9am, he (presumably) caused a spike in the blood pressure of police observing from below as he abseiled partway down the pillar to wave at spectators. He then ascended back to his much safer perch at the top.

He has subsequently posted an update informing authorities that he will descend at noon which is, at the time of writing, in approximately an hour.

“I’ll be down at 12pm peacefully,” he posted online, adding that he was waiting for the tide to recede. The sea level lies an additional 95ft beneath his aforementioned 460ft-high vantage point, atop one of the Bolte Bridge’s gateway pillars.

It remains unclear how the man managed to reach the top of the pillar, but footage from the scene shows him abseiling down to perform their spray-painting task.

The tag ‘Pam the Bird’ has been popping up across Melbourne on significant buildings and high-profile spots since 2023. Notably, Pam the Bird has made appearances on Melbourne’s famed Flinders Street Station and the city’s ‘International Gateway’ architectural feature along the M1, offering a visual treat for travellers arriving from Tullamarine, Melbourne’s international airport.

Specifically, Pam the Bird was spotted on the large ‘Cheese Stick’, part of a display consisting of several large orange beams (resembling carrot sticks) and one yellow beam (the big cheese stick), adding a splash of colour to the otherwise drab motorway.

As of now, he remains perched atop the bridge.